The Washington critic., 1887-09-15
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

stories are related OF Senator Hears,'s
pecullarities, but with all his oddities
he commands respect for his honesty
and his loyalty to friends, two traits
not conspicuous among mining million.
aires. His generosity to the Demo.
cratic party In California led to his
elevation TO the Senate. He has strong
political ambition, but his advisers
have usually been badly selected. Thus,
when he was placed In nomination for
Governor of California, he made q
speech SO full of learned words and
florid rhetoric that every one knew
It had been written for him.
1t fell fiat, and General Stoneman
secured the nomination. But after the
result was announced Hearst came
forward and in simple, plain language
declared that he would work for the
candidate sincerely and faithfully. His
speech was the event of the conven-
tion, and one of the audience called
out, Uncle George, If you had talked
that way before the vote you would
have got that nomination." Senator
IIcarst's wealth Is estimated at fifteen
million dollars and his income at eighty
thousand dollars u month.
~
Says the Chicago Ne,rs: Residents In
the vicinity of Oakland have abund-
ant opportunity TO point out the Hon.
Lyman Trumbull to visiting friends.
He is to be seen nearly every summer
afternoon working among the old.
fashioned flower beds Of the garden
surrounding his plain house on Lake
avenue. His brother and sons live
around him. The ex Senator bears
his years well. His face Is no more
wrinkled than when, fifteen years ago,
1t was subject for the pencil Of Mast.
He lives quietly, going into society
very little. He is supposed 10 be out
of politics. The newspapers rarely
ask him for his views. But passen-
gers on the suburban trains
notice that when occasionally
some acquaintance approaches
his seat with bit Of political informa.
tion to convey his eye lights up. He
rides home on the train every day for
lunch, returning to his Office by $50
His law practice Is enormous. 1t Is said
to be worth 500, 600 year. There are,
II is said, not half dozen lawyers In
the West who command fees so large,
especially upon corporation law. The
firm, as rule, handles none but heavy
cases, but lately the eX Senator's son,
Perry Tiumbull, has returned to his
fathers office, after ten years expert.
ence on the Board of Trade, and has
resumed practice in that class of busi-
ness.
An amusing feature of the present
American craze In London, says Tat.
tier" in the New York Star, is the
development of British three.csrd
monte sharps, They ply their trade
on all the great lines running out of
London, usually selecting Americans
as their victims. A well dressed, mill.
tary.lookiDg man enters first.class
carriage, takes no notice OF his fellow
passengers, and is absorbed In reviews
and periodicals. AT some station on
the line there enter to him two other
military looking men, who fall to dis
Cussing army estimates and dynamite
guns. The conversation turns at last
upon trick that one of them had seen
played at the Wild West show. Had
any one In the carriage any cards
No, but the taciturn gentleman had
three photographs In his pocket, In.
Guiding one of the Prince OF Wales.
Would they do2 Certainly. Then In a
bHngling way the sharper proceeded to
explain the trick, asking the others to
follow the Prince of Wales. AS he
pretended to become more expert he
won from his friend, who laughed
heartily al the conceit. The Americans
present, though, had seen the trick so
often that they could follow the
Princes photograph every time. At
last they are led into the game, with
the usual results. A United States
army officer, who Is one of the clever.
est fellows ever knew, told me he was
roped In like this the other day ON his
way TO Liverpool and lost sl20 before
he had the faintest idea that he was in
the hands of sharpers And ieuced
agreeable fellows they were, too, he
added sadly
Charles Sumner always lived within
his income and never Incurred debt
that he had not the means of paylnl
at the time II became due, says ARNOLD
Burgess johnson in the C0sm0p0lita1
for September. Within his income h,
was first just, then generous. Durinl
his first term in the Senate he was de
pendent upon his pay as Senator and ,
little copyright money for his support
although during portion Of that time
he added somewhat TO his income BY
lectures. In his latter days, how
ever, he was rendered sOmewha
easier In circumstances by small
fortune that came to him from
the successive death of several rcla
tives. For much Of his life he was
poor man In straitened circumstances
Int he would never be obliged T.
any one for anything hut kind
ness, He would not allow an
other TO pay any expense that h,
incurred, not even horse car fare
In slumplng during the Presidential
election he would never allow the Con
gresham IN whose district he spoke
and who was TO be benefited most by
his efforts, TO pay even his RAILROAD
fare. He was no gift talIeri he wOulC
interchange gifts as well as kind office
with others, but the balance of til,
obligation was never allowed to remall
on his side. His generosity to the ser
wants Of the houses in which he liveC
was proyerblal. Sam Ward said tha